From the interview, I was able to gather a lot about Peta. Not just what she accomplished as an athlete, but what kind of a person she is. Peta is an extremely humble person who would do anything for her team. Peta grew up with softball. " I was given a glove and told to go fetch". From the age of just over one, her parents were grooming her to be a softballer.
Peta first made her debut for a softball team when she was seven. I asked her if she was always good at softball, and her reply was that she was "genetically blessed" but also said that it "took a lot of hard work and dedication and things like that to become a better player". Peta never established a permanent club at her early age, but said that she spent a lot of time playing for Diamond Valley Melbourne.
After we established information about her welcoming to softball, we jumped straight to the Olympics. When answering about how she received the news that she was going to the Olympics, Peta said, "We actually received a phone call from the Australian Institute of Sport". Her selection was the result of a solid tournament a short time before the announcement, and all round good form in the months prior to the tournament.
Peta then went on to talk about her preparation for the Olympics. The team put together five or six training camps and "because the Australian Institute of Sport, the softball department, is based in Brisbane, we spent a lot of time in Brisbane". "We also went to Cairns to do a training camp". I asked her about her feelings leading into not only her first Olympics but Softball's first Olympics and she said that excitement was the dominant feeling. She talked about how she wasn't thinking of it as something to be nervous about, but something to have fun with and be excited for. "Once we actually got there, you know, it was even more exciting"
We then went on to talk about the Olympic village. "It was like living in a small city except there's like a thousand athletes walking around." Peta explained how the Olympic Village had every aspect of a regular city. She listed some of the places that were available to the athletes in the village and these included a McDonalds, a hairdressers, banks, and restaurants from different cuisines. "one of my highlights was that I met Nelson Mandela". Peta explained how out of all the great things that happened at an Olympics games, meeting Nelson Mandela was one that stuck with her.
It was then time to talk about her debut in the Olympics. Unfortunately for Peta, her debut was postponed due to a broken foot which side lined her for a number of days. When she was finally given the chance to play for her country at the Olympics in 1996, she was assigned as the designated hitter but was fine with that role as she was happy to be playing after her broken foot threatened to terminate her Olympic campaign. "Just amazing to be out their finally".
Continuing on the theme of Olympics, I then asked Peta to tell me about her first ever home run. She didn't hit a home run in he 1996 games, but managed to multiple in her home Olympics in 2000. Peta told me that home runs are bit like hitting sixes in cricket. "Not something you go out every inning and try and hit a home run". Peta described her home run as "kind of a sweet feeling" when it came off the bat.
When I interviewed Peta, it was around the mid point of the Olympics. I asked her what the athletes would be feeling, whether fatigue starts to kick in or if adrenaline is still running high. Peta told me
that some athletes haven't started yet so they wouldn't be feeling the fatigue, but for the athletes such as the swimmers, fatigue would be a factor but the adrenaline continues to carry them through.
"That was the best thing, to actually go and watch the other sports". Peta went on about how it was fun for the athletes to go and watch each other and be supportive for Australia. The athletes were housed together, so Peta said that they would run into each other now and then and they'd introduce each other and by the end they had met a lot more Australian athletes. When softball had finished at each of Peta's Olympics, Peta would go and watch the swimming, the hockey and the basketball.
After a bronze medal at both the 1996 games and the 2000 games, Australia was desperate to go better. Australia ended up with a silver after a tough loss in the final. I asked PETA wether she was happy with silver or if she was upset that she didn't get gold. She said it was pleasing to go better than the previous bronzes, but it was also a little disappointing to fall agonisingly short. She then spoke about the team who won the gold medal, the USA. "USA was such a strong contingents". "To their credit, they were the better team in Athens and they beat us convincingly 5-1.
After covering Peta's softball career and the Olympics specifically it was nice to hear about her favourite moments from her entire softball career. "2000, loved it". Peta explained that softball took her away from home and her family didn't get to watch many of her matches, so when she played in Sydney her family and friends had the opportunity to support her. Peta also said it was nice to have the crowd cheering for you instead of the opposition.
The question that I was most interested in was "which country did you enjoy beating the most?" Her response was "When your out there, you're just trying to win every game." However, she also commented on one of Australia's rivalries. "We always had a healthy rivalry between New Zealand and Australia".
For those of you who don't know, Peta was inducted into the softball hall of fame. She received a phone call one day from Softball Australia, giving her the great news. Peta described it as exciting and humbling, and also said that it was a great acknowledgment.
Peta Edebone is also responsible for holding one of the great softball world records. She hit four home runs at the 2000 Olympics, matching a world record that was very hard to beat. She said she had no idea at the time that she had matched the record. She said she was "a bit shocked" and didn't become aware until somebody told her after the game.
So that's the end of the interview. Peta Edebone is one of the most humble and talented people I have met, and I am very grateful that she gave up some time to answer my questions.
Sorry I haven't posted the latest game reviews for the Australian Boomers, I have been busy writing this article.
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